YOUR VIEW: Let people who can't buy live in empty homes

We asked Courier-Post readers on Facebook what they would want to see their local government do if the house next door to them was abandoned and deteriorating. It's a problem that has become more widespread in South Jersey in recent years with the poor economy and a rise in home foreclosures.

In Cherry Hill, which has more than 140 vacant homes, officials are putting in place registration fees that increase over time for the owners of these properties. Owners who fail to register could face daily fines of up to $1,000 a day. Absentee owners also have to identify a local contact person for any complaints about the property.

The idea behind Cherry Hill's ordinance is to motivate individuals or banks that own vacant homes to either maintain or quickly sell them before they become neighborhood problems as eyesores, home to animals and targets for thieves, drug users or other criminals.

Here are some of readers' thoughts on this issue:

Kellie Ayres-Lando: With so many people on the verge of being homeless, you would think the state would want to help them by using properties like these and lowering them so that some families could actually afford to live in this God forsaken state.

Jim DeVries: Banks should have to maintain foreclosed homes or face fines just like private owners do.

David Kaytes: A similar ordinance should apply to homes where people live in the homes but still don't maintain them creating an eyesore for the rest of the community. Something in the way of fines and even send the municipal services to that property to clean it up and bill the homeowner. If the homeowner doesn't pay, then lien the house out.

Stephanie Wilson-Ramsey: You would think they would give them to people who are unable to purchase a home, but would be able to fix the house up and make it a home.

I'm not talking about everyone on Section 8, but how about someone who doesn't have the credit for a home loan and who has a job and is able to fix and mantain it on their own.

Janet Torrence: They need to give away these properties to anyone who can beautify them.

Karlean Moss-Queen: With all the people on the list for Section 8, why not have the state pay the local contractors to make them habitable?

Kathleen Monaghan: I have one right next door to me. It's a disgrace to the neighborhood!

Leo McMichael: That's what they get for artificially pumping up the values of the homes and increasing the taxes based on said increased values. Vicious cycle! ...

There's no money in it for the bank, so it remains untouched. If they could knock it down, they could sell the property again, build another house again, raise taxes again! All about money.

Babci Azch: I say put more effort in teaching our young people regarding civic responsibility in our school systems and, as a project, ask them about their ideas on how they think this issue could be resolved.

Skip Brockner: Anything for a buck.

Lisa Diem-Craddock: We have a house that burned out about three years ago and is still standing, nothing done to it.

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YOUR VIEW: Let people who can't buy live in empty homes

We asked Courier-Post readers on Facebook what they would want to see their local government do if the house next door to them was abandoned and deteriorating.